Israel expelling Human Rights Watch country director

Israel was set to expel the country director of Human Rights Watch on Monday after a lengthy court battle over claims he supports a boycott of the Jewish state.

American citizen Omar Shakir, the New York-based rights group’s director for Israel and the Palestinian territories, arrived at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon, where he was greeted by around 20 supporters.

He denies the allegations and accuses the Israeli government of seeking to suppress dissent.

“Today culminates a two-and-a-half year effort to deport me over my human rights advocacy, an effort to muzzle Human Rights Watch,” Shakir said at the airport.

“One day you will welcome me here, I hope, when it is a better day — a day in which all people, Israeli and Palestinian, have their human rights respected.”

He was due to fly out early on Monday evening.

Authorities say Shakir’s expulsion was to be the first from inside Israel under its controversial 2017 law allowing the deportation of foreigners who support a boycott.

The European Union, United Nations and others had called on Israel to reverse course, with the UN warning of a “shrinking space for human rights defenders to operate” in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

But the United States, Israel’s closest ally, declined to do so, saying only that it supported freedom of expression.

HRW said Shakir would continue in his position despite being expelled, working from neighbouring Jordan.

‘Boycott support’

Israel refused to extend Shakir’s work permit in May 2018 after parliament passed a law mandating the expulsion of foreign supporters of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

BDS activists call for a wide-ranging embargo of Israel over its treatment of the Palestinians.

Israel sees the movement as a strategic threat and accuses it of anti-Semitism.

Activists strongly deny this charge, comparing the embargo to the economic isolation that helped bring down apartheid in South Africa.

The ministry of strategic affairs, which led the campaign to expel Shakir, said Monday that Israel, “like any sane country, has the right to decide who is given the freedom to enter and work within its borders”.

These are unprecedented times, and the role of media to tell and record the story of South Africa as it develops is more important than ever. But it comes at a cost. Advertisers are cancelling campaigns, and our live events have come to an abrupt halt. Our income has been slashed.

The Mail & Guardian is a proud news publisher with roots stretching back 35 years. We’ve survived thanks to the support of our readers, we will need you to help us get through this.

To help us ensure another 35 future years of fiercely independent journalism, please subscribe.

The National Health Laboratory Services finally admitted to a bottleneck last week, after denying there were any issues since April. According to the service, the backlog of 80 000 tests started in the first week of May